Colonialism does connect Britain, the EU and Bosnia – but Britain is not being treated like a colony

The Conservative MEP, Daniel Hannan, responding to the withdrawal agreement reached between the UK government and the EU over Brexit, indicated that the deal could leave the UK facing colonial rule of the sort imposed on Bosnia following the Yugoslav war. Catherine Baker argues that there is indeed a connection between Brexit Britain and post-Dayton Bosnia, but it is […]

Eurovision 2017 was remarkable for its lack of politics

The build up to the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest was overshadowed by a dispute between Russia and Ukraine which resulted in Russia withdrawing from the event. Catherine Baker writes that despite this dispute, the show itself was largely free from the kind of political controversy that has emerged in previous years.

Why were Bosniaks treated more favourably than today’s Muslim refugees? On differing narratives of identity, religion and security

Today’s migration crisis has prompted comparisons with the recent past, with analyses highlighting the relatively successful integration of refugees from Bosnia in the 1990s. Catherine Baker reflects on why today’s migrants are not being given as warm a welcome and why even the welcome of Bosnian migrants was less warm than it has been remembered as. Although even before […]

Brexit has echoes of the breakup of Yugoslavia

Is the stability of the European Union as a whole now under threat following the UK’s decision to leave? Catherine Baker draws a number of parallels between the dynamics that preceded the break-up of Yugoslavia and the ongoing developments that have followed the EU referendum. She highlights that while the demise of Yugoslavia was itself not inevitable, the violence […]

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